• Advises PDP on the only way out to defeat Akeredolu in 2020

• Warns party not to repeat mistakes of the past

• Says God would not forgive me if I step down

After escaping death in a fatal accident involving Senator Nicholas Tofowomo of Ondo South which eventually claimed the life of late Mrs Toyin Ajinde – a PDP chieftain, Hon. Banji Okunomo, leading gubernatorial Aspirant of the PDP ahead of 2020 election in Ondo State, on Monday, made his first Media appearance, and fired his first shot over his gubernatorial ambition ever since the unfortunate incident happened.

In an exclusive interview with Starnews, while responding to question if he is still in the race, Okunomo said the death of late Mrs. Toyin Ajinde was a painful exit and a temporary set back to his gubernatorial ambition, noting that God would not forgive him if the efforts and supports of late Mrs. Ajinde go in vain.

”My desire to become governor is neither borne out of selfish desire nor that I want to be governor because of what I want to benefit as an individual, No!”

”I want to be governor because I want to draw a difference; I want to be different from any other one in the affairs of governance in this country because I’ll be able to inject the spirit of vibrancy and articulacy that’s in me to turn lives around in Ondo State.”

”Whenever I look at the teeming population who are languishing in penury, I feel pained because we have enough natural resources which are not maximized.” 

”It’s unfortunate that Ondo State is still a dependant state;  Ondo State by now is not supposed to be borrowing, we are supposed to live on our natural resources, and less on allocations from the Federal governments.”

”We need to harness our economic potentials to be able to sustain ourselves as an oil-producing state. I’ve a retinue of ideas on how we can revolutionalize our economy for self sufficiency in Ondo State and this coming 2020 gubernatorial election in Ondo State is an opportunity to aspire and take charge of the business of running the day to day activities of government to rescue Ondo State from total collapse.

”Late Mrs. Toyin Ajinde believed in this vision and saw my capacity to so do. She gave me the necessary supports and was always with me in my quest to realise this ambition. God would not forgive me if I allow her efforts and supports for me to be in vain.

Okunomo also said the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) must not repeat the mistake of the past if they want to win the next year gubernatorial election in the state.

”The only way out for the PDP is to observe the needful by looking out for a credible, viable candidate from the Southern district of Ondo State who would flag the party ticket to be able to defeat the incumbent.”

”PDP cannot afford to go back to its vomit. the formula it applied while in power which led to the party’s failure in the last dispensation cannot in anyway give them success if re-applied when they are not in power. If there’s anyone junketting from the unflavoured zone should be admonished to drop the ambition in the interest of the party to allow the party to pick from the right place so that the party can win.”

”If we must work for the PDP to win the next election, we must recognize the existence of everybody, nobody should treat anyone as a slave, I stand by this, ” he said.